Whilst scouting Jericho
we stumbled upon an amazing flower. Keen to find out
more about it, we located the man who grows them.
His name is Oded Hamm; he lives in the desert and
is an expert on desert flora. He is the first to commercially
grow the ‘Real Rose of Jericho’.
This ‘Jericho Rose’ (Anastatica Hierocuntica
to give it its Latin name) has biblical connections
and Oded Hamm has re-introduced it to the Land of
the Bible. He is growing it at the lowest point on
earth – a barren but beautiful location in Israel,
next to Jericho and the Dead-Sea. The sight of this
amazing rose was enough to arouse our interest but
when we later heard about its historic and biblical
connections the combination of both really caught
our imaginations. We thought it would be a great to
document this story, to make film in Israel about
the modern renaissance of a biblical flower.
Historical Roots of ‘The Rose’
According to Christian tradition, when Mary, the
mother of Jesus, fled through the desert from Judea
to Egypt, she was introduced to the magnificent qualities
of the Rose of Jericho.
Mary blessed the plant she saw in the desert, and
since then some Christians have kept the tradition
of having a Rose of Jericho in their homes. It has
become a talisman for fertility, family health and
success in farming, as well as other much yearned
for aspirations. For these reasons the Rose of Jericho
makes a meaningful and extra special present for Christmas
and Easter.
An Everlasting Plant
The Rose of Jericho is also called the ‘Resurrection
Plant’ - as the name suggests there is everlasting
life within this intriguing flower. But don’t
take our word for it, see for yourself! Follow these
instructions to find out why;
• Fill a big bowl with water.
• Immerse the dry and shrunken plant inside.
• Although initially appearing to be dead, within
a short time it will open up, and spread its branches
like the fingers of a hand – wide open!
• Your Rose of Jericho has just returned to
life!
• Now take it out of the water and let it dry.
• After a while it will shrink again and close
its ‘fingers’, like a fist over the seeds.
• The Rose now looks withered and dead.
• This action can be repeated for over 20 years!
In Europe, they sometimes place a gift such as a
ring into an open rose, and then let it close again.
Once the rose is placed in water, the ring is exposed.
No Desert Gimmick – This is Survival!
These outstanding qualities evolved because the Rose
of Jericho needs to survive in the dry Judean desert,
far below sea level - the lowest point on Earth. The
desert receives no more than two inches of rainfall
annually – if at all.
Reproduction in such a dry, infertile habitat is
not simple or easy. In an effort to start a new generation
of plants, the Rose of Jericho only opens up when
the ground is wet. When open it disperses a few seeds
at a time, never sure whether there will be enough
water for them to grow. The mother plant repeats this
life cycle for 20 years.
Film Context
The Judean desert is already a unique, picturesque
Israeli location for filming. The rose or its story
could easily be incorporated into documentaries or
other film productions.
The amazing desert backdrop; the historical and biblical
connotations; one man’s efforts to revive a
truly unique and exotic flower – all of this
would be a great topic whilst filming in Israel.
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